Brassiere pad means



Aug. 31, 1965 s. G. GARUTSO 3,203,422

BRASSIERE PAD MEANS Filed Aug. 6, 1964 50/04 6. @wurso,

IN VE/VrOe.

United States Patent 3,203,422 BRASSIERE PAD MEANS Sonia G. Garutso, 7188 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 46, Calif. Filed Aug. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 387,849 4 Claims. (Cl. 128480) This invention relates to brassieres and this application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 196,173, filed May 21, 1962, now Patent Number 3,149,635.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an exterior surface for the brassiere cup which not only is ornamental but which is highly utilitarian in that it forms a highly resilient padding. This padding as will hereinafter be explained, may be applied either to a brasslere structure, per se, or to an exterior and removable cover element for the cup of the brassiere.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cushioning or padding surface for the exterior of a brassiere cup which is simple in construction and by reason of the novel characteristics of its construction can be made with varying degrees of thickness and resilience at different points in its area.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a construction for the exterior surface component of the brassiere cup in which the foregoing objects may be readily achieved with the employment of the same sewing facilities for the different variations in thickness and the like.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, by way of example, in the following specification of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of said specification and in which drawingf FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere in which an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of a brassiere cup cover embodying the invention,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 33 and 44 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2 but showing a variation or modification of the construction in which the ornamentation and padding component of the invention and which by means hereinafter to be disclosed, this padding component is made thicker at one portion than another, and

FIG. 6 is a modified form of the invention showing the cover arranged for detachable mounting over the cup of a brassiere.

Referring to the drawing there is shown in FIG. 1 a brassiere comprising a body encircling band B having shoulder strap means S and cup portions C, C. The present invention comprises an outer surface means for the cup surfaces, usually only the lower half thereof but which, if desired, may cover the entire cup, which is both decorative and serves as a padding either of uniform thickness over the entire area of the cover or of gradually increasing thickness from the boundaries thereof toward the center thereof. Specifically, having reference to FIGS. 14, the base fabric 1 forming the outer surface of the lower portion of the cup has sewn to the outer surface thereof a series of closely spaced rows 2 of lace which has been ruflled or gathered along the stitched edge thereof, the first row being applied closely adjacent the seam 3 which joins the lower edge of the cup C to the body band B and the rufiled or gathered edge of the lace being that which is sewed. Preferably, the lace is formed of a fiber such as nylon thread or other ice ihread which imparts some degree of resilience to the ace.

The ruifiing or gathering causes the lace to form a sort of pad or cushion. The rows of lace are sewn parallel to each other and are spaced apart a distance which is less than the width of the lace so that each successive row partially overlays at least a portion of the preceding or lower row thus increasing the thickness of the padding elfect thus formed. The closer the rows are spaced to one another, the thicker the resulting padding becomes for any given amount or ratio of gathering or ruflling of the lace in any one row. Also the amount of gathering can of course be varied to afford further variation. To conform to the outwardly curved configuration of the lower portion of the brassiere cup, the lines of stitching extend in parallel curved lines downwardly and thence upwardly with the ends of the lines disposed at substantially equal distances from opposite sides of a vertical line defining the center of the cup.

As a practical manufacturing consideration, the lace would be first sewn in gathered condition in long lengths and the thus gathered lace cut into suitable shorter lengths and sewed to the cup forming fabric after that component has been cut and shaped and before it has been sewn into the brassiere. The thick, lacy appearance of the cover or pad thus formed is not only utilitarian but also extremely ornamental.

Next, having reference to FIG. 5, there is shown a modification in which the lengths of lace instead of being uniformly gathered are differentially gathered or ruffled so that the amount of gather is less at the ends of the strip as at 211, 2a and is greater toward the center, as at 2b thus giving a greater padding effect toward the center of the cup.

While the preferred method would be that of first gathering the lace and sewing it along the edge thereof to be sewn to the base fabric of the cup in preparation for afterwards sewing it to the base fabric, where desired, the lace may, of course, be gathered and sewn to the base fabric in a single operation.

Referring finally to FIG. 6, the invention is shown as applied to a detachable cover for a brassiere cup of the type disclosed in my prior application, Serial No. 196,173, filed May 21, 1962, and of which this application is thus, a continuation-in-part. In this form of the invention, the ornamentation is applied to the outer surface of a detachable cover D for a brassiere cup having a fastening means 4 at the upper edge thereof with a strip of socalled Velcro fastening means 5 along the lower edge thereof as shown, described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 387,937, filed August 6, 1964, which also constitutes a continuation-in-part of my said prior application, Serial No. 196,173, filed May 21, 1962 now Patent Number 3,149,635.

While in the foregoing specification there has been disclosed certain presently preferred embodiments of my invention, the invention is not to be deemed to be limited to the precise details of construction thus disclosed by way of example and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A resilient padding means for the lower exterior surface of a brassiere cup; said padding means comprising a fabric member adapted to be disposed on the outer surface of at least the lower half portion of the cup and conforming to the configuration of said portion, and a series of spaced rows of lace strips covering at least the lower half of said outer surface of said fabric member each of said rows having one edge thereof gathered and secured to the outer face of said fabric member by one each of an equal number of lines of stitching and adjacent ones of said lines of stitching spaced apart a distance less than the width of the lace strips whereby the said rows of lace, except one, overlie at least a portion of at least one of the adjacent rows of lace; the lines of stitching each extending in curved lines downwardly and thence upwardly from the upper edge of said member with the beginning and terminating ends of said lines disposed at substantially equal distances at opposite sides of a vertical line defining the center of the cup.

2. A brassiere pad means as claimed in claim 1 in which the lace in each row is uniformly gathered throughout the length of the row.

3. A brassiere pad means as claimed in claim 1 in which the lace in at least One of the rows is gathered to a greater extent at the mid portion of the row than at the ends of the row.

4. A brassiere pad means as claimed in claim 1 in which said fabric member is detachably secured to the brassiere and, when secured, overlies the outer surface of the brassiere cup.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RESILIENT PADDING MEANS FOR THE LOWER EXTERIOR SURFACE OF A BRASSIERE CUP; SAID PADDING MEANS COMPRISING A FABRIC MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF AT LEAST THE LOWER HALF PORTION OF THE CUP AND CONFORMING TO THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID PORTION, AND A SERIES OF SPACED ROWS OF LACE STRIPS COVERING AT LEAST THE LOWER HALF OF SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FABRIC MEMBER EACH OF SAID ROWS HAVING ONE EDGE THEREOF GATHERED AND SECURED TO THE OUTER FACE OF SAID FABRIC MEMBER BY ONE EACH OF AN EQUAL NUMBER OF LINES OF STITCHING AND ADJACENT ONES OF SAID LINES OF STITCHING SPACED APART BY A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE LACE STRIPS WHEREBY THE 